Need For Speed Release Date Rolls Forward Five Weeks

One might think an adaptation of one of the most popular racing video game franchises would come zooming into theaters as quickly as possible with its pedal to the metal – or with its fingers on the accelerator button, as it were – but Scott Waugh’s upcoming Need for Speed is playing it safe and taking the scenic route on the way to theaters.

The film will no longer see a February 7, 2014 release, Deadline reports, and will instead go nationwide on March 14, 2014. With almost a year between now and then, one might wonder if the delay was caused by production problems or casting issues, but it’s really just steering clear of some stiff competition from two films that previously bullied their way to the same date.

José Padilha’s upcoming Robocop reboot previously switched its release date from August 9, 2013 to its current February date, and Chris Miller and Phil Lord’s star-studded Lego-centric animated effort was supposed to release on February 28 before it also bumped its date up, even though Need for Speed had its release set up already. A video game adaptation avoiding competition from a remake and a film inspired by a children’s toy. Nothing wrong with Hollywood today at all.

Need for Speed, scripted by brothers George and John Gatins, tells the story of Tobey Marshall (Aaron Paul), a street racer framed for the murder of his best friend who then takes to the streets for a cross country race for revenge. The film also stars Michael Keaton, Kid Cudi, Dakota Johnson, Dominic Cooper, Imogen Poots, Ramon Rodriguez, and Rami Malek. There are currently no other films set to challenge this film’s fast-paced action and star power yet, but expect that to change in the coming months.